In the 2023 draft, NFL teams selected 24 prospects who had played at Alabama high schools and colleges. After three rounds of the 2024 draft, eight players with Alabama roots have been chosen.

So it could be a busy day of picks from the state as the 89th NFL Draft concludes with its final four rounds. Or a lot of local prospects are going to be headed into rookie free agency on Saturday night.

The NFL Draft resumes at 11 a.m. CDT Saturday with the first pick of the fourth round, which will be followed by the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds until the 257th choice becomes this year’s Mr. Irrelevant at around 6 p.m.

NFL teams have chosen 100 players – 32 in the first round on Thursday night and the rest in the second and third rounds on Friday night – and have 157 selections to make on Saturday.

Former Alabama high school standouts who appear candidates to join the eight previous picks with Alabama football roots on Saturday include Missouri cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (Spanish Fort), Miami (Fla.) guard Javion Cohen (Central-Phenix City), Auburn defensive tackle Marcus Harris (Park Crossing) and cornerbacks DJ James (Spanish Fort) and Nehemiah Pritchett (Jackson), Samford quarterback Michael Hiers (Briarwood Christian), Ole Miss defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson), Alabama kicker Will Reichard (Hoover), Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (Thompson), Arizona State cornerback Ro Torrence (Bessemer City) and Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson (Maplesville).

Cohen and Tagovailoa started their prep careers at Alabama, and Torrence began with Auburn.

Other players with state college ties who might be picked on Saturday include Troy linebacker Javon Solomon and running back Kimani Vidal, South Alabama quarterback Carter Bradley and UCF offensive tackle Tylan Grable, who played at Jacksonville State in 2019, 2020 and 2021. UCF wide receiver Javon Baker and Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson played two seasons apiece at Alabama before transferring.

With 25 players, including six from Alabama, the SEC leads all conferences in selections through three rounds. But there’s more where that came from. The SEC’s top remaining prospects also include:

· Alabama: Defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe, safety Jaylen Key (UAB) running back Jase McClellan

· Arkansas: Offensive lineman Beaux Limmer and defensive back Dwight McGlothern

· Auburn: Defensive tackle Justin Rogers and safety Jaylin Simpson

· Florida: Offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun

· Georgia: Running back Kendall Milton and wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jackson

· Kentucky: Running back Ray Davis

· LSU: Offensive lineman Charles Turner III and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo

· Mississippi State: Wide receiver Lideatrick Griffin and cornerback Decamerion Richardson

· Missouri: Offensive tackle Javon Foster and running back Cody Schrader

· Ole Miss: Safety Daijahn Anthony, wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and cornerback Deantre Prince

· South Carolina: Defensive back Marcellas Dial and quarterback Spencer Rattler

· Tennessee: Cornerback Kamal Hadden and running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright

· Texas A&M: Cornerback Josh DeBerry, safety Demani Richardson, offensive lineman Layden Robinson and wide receiver Ainias Smith

Abrams-Draine, Wright and Rattler appear to be the SEC players who are most overdue to be chosen.

Other players who were projected to have been picked by now include Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa, North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray and wide receiver DeVontez Walker, Washington State safety Jaden Hicks, Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin and defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus, Florida State wide receiver Johnny Wilson and Clemson edge rusher Xavier Thomas.

Saturday’s selections will be televised by ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.